Satsang

Yogacharya David

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Satsang is coming together for the purpose of spiritual upliftment and transformation. Ultimately Satsang is to become established in the true Self, or God-consciousness.

These last few days we have been in Ashland to be with the Group here. When kindred spirits come together the feeling of love and joy is palpable in the air. It is a time of quickening as those here feel a purifying power that changes lives and helps all progress in spiritualizing the mind.

When I started this path I was very much alone in it, friends at the time were not interested in this unusual quest I found myself on. And in meeting Mother necessity of work in distant places and of going to college elsewhere kept me from knowing many of those who gathered around Mother. Add to that, that I was so lifted up when around Mother that communicating with others was well-nigh impossible.

Gradually that has all changed, but the meaning and the purpose of satsang has not. Only now I am able to operate in the body and be in a state of satsang; merged with the Self, even while with others. How wonderful to surcharge the atmosphere with chanting God’s holy Nam, feeling the power of Truth flow  through this form throughout a talk, and then to feel His current of love, laughter and joy as we gather around potluck food and sit in the sunshine.

Perhaps it was best in the beginning that it was a lonely path, for that made me find an inner connection with God and Guru that was independent of those I was around. But today, my heart bursts with joy in being with sincere aspirants in a spirit of upliftment and transformation. Whether we find ourselves alone or with other devotees we may always find that connection with God, but what a real treasure it is when sincere souls gather together in satsang.

Come, Follow Me

Yogacharya David

Jesus Meditating - From The Second Coming of Christ crop 2 medium

I recently gave a talk entitled, Jesus Was a Jew. It reminded me of a story Mother once told of a little girl who came home from Sunday School and exclaimed to her mother,”Mommy, they said Jesus was a Jew!” The mother reassured her child saying, “Never mind dear, we all know he was a good Methodist!”

We all look at the Master through the lens of our own minds, conditioned by time and circumstance. We see artists’ renditions of Jesus with blond hair and blue eyes, fair skinned, all which would have been highly unusual for a Jew of his time. It makes many comfortable to think of him as “someone like us;” as a “good methodist.”

Even the teachings of the various churches that follow him would have been foreign to Jesus, certainly many of his followers would have been astounded. The notion of the trinity became officially recognized 300 years after the time of Jesus, and for many of his direct followers to think of him as one of three aspects of one God would have been news to many of them at the time. Even three hundred years later it took some pretty fancy reasoning to work it out, with many tries before there came an acceptable version. Yet today it is held as sacrosanct for all true believers.

There is no evidence Jesus intended to start a new religion. He called upon those he healed to keep secret what had happened, he pointed his teachings toward loving God and one’s fellow man, and his focus was upon strengthening faith in God, whom he called Abba, Father. He taught in Jewish synagogues and the great Temple, and strove to challenge those who ran the temple to be pure and upright. He did not break with Jewish tradition, in fact he said he was the fulfillment of its promise.

When Paul, not a direct disciple, asked for permission many years after the time of Jesus to initiate others who were not Jews into these  teachings it created quite a stir. James, and even Peter rejected the idea. Later Peter had a dream in which he received sanction for Paul to do so. The point is, the direct disciples did not see themselves as anything other than Jews at the time. Paul even came up with his own fancy reasoning so that new male converts did not have to be physically circumcised, a Jewish rite, but that their faith in Jesus made them circumcised. Why go through the trouble of reasoning this out unless it was thought that becoming a Christian was essentially becoming Jewish.

And why do I now point out these self-evident facts? It is to focus on what is essential to the life and teachings of this Jewish rabbi. Even his breaking of bread and sharing of wine was a rite already established by the Essenes. While Jesus  borrowed heavily from the ancient tradition in which he was born, he also articulated the greatest spiritual principles to be found anywhere. This man, whose background we are told so little, gave us the keys to finding the kingdom of heaven, only to be found within.

What he gave us was so much more than a new religion, he gave us the Truth! He taught us to live the life of a true spiritual being, to love God first, surrender to His will, and to serve our fellow man, even unto death. Jesus taught us how to truly live. I say he taught “us,” because he teaches us still through the stories of his life, and the power of his words that resonate around the world.

“Come, follow me,” he said to his direct disciples, and he says to all of us. To follow him means to live as he lived, to know what he knew, to be even as he was; a Son of God. “Follow me,” not in blind belief, but see with your own eyes, hear with your own ears, know with your own mind the same as he saw, heard and knew his heavenly Father. He calls to us even now, “Come, follow me.”

Travis Raney R.N. Graduation Speech

Yogacharya David

We recently attended the graduation ceremony for Travis and were greatly pleased when he gave the speech for the graduating class, as well as being awarded top honors in the class as voted on by the students. Carla said it was the best graduation speech she has ever heard; I thought you would enjoy reading an excerpted copy. Travis said that when he attended the graduation of the previous year’s class a year before, this speech flowed into his mind in almost its entirety right then.

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Picture: Travis and David on graduation night

Good evening, thank you all for coming to support us tonight.

There have been so many people who’ve helped us all make it here to graduation tonight and I would like to express our gratitude to as many of them as possible.

First and foremost I would like to personally give thanks for Divine Providence, without which—I would not be here tonight.

To all of our friends and families who have been so supportive in so many ways….

Well we are finally here at graduation, it has been such a long path, it has been a path filled with sacrifice, with countless hours studying, with pressure, with stress, and sometimes even tears.

And I just wanted to make sure that I stated for the record that I never cried…

I find what works best for me is a special technique I developed where I just bottle up all my stress and emotions deep inside, and hope something good happens.

I see some worried faces out there, and I can see my family all nodding their heads in agreement,

Don’t worry people, it’s just supposed to be a joke, I promise BTC doesn’t teach the bottle technique, and I do have some healthy outlets to deal with stress,

In fact—self-care is an important concept emphasized throughout this nursing program.

If we fail to advocate for ourselves and for our own well-being, it is possible that we can become overburdened with stress. Finding time to recharge ourselves with healthy stress relieving activities is essential to maintaining balance and longevity in the nursing field.

For if we neglect to care for ourselves in this way, we will likely be unable to provide the highest standard of nursing care that our patients deserve.

We have worked so hard to get to where we are today, and we should all be proud of our hard work. That being said, I encourage you not to fall into a mindset of entitlement, but rather let us look at our achievements in this way…That we have proven ourselves to be safe, competent and compassionate nurses, worthy of the privilege of serving the infirmed at an RN level. For care-giving truly is an honor and a privilege.

We have reached a higher level of education, and I know that all of you are going to be great nurses. But what is greatness, and what does it mean to be great?

I would like to share with you a short story about a group of students similar to our own small class.

This group was talking amongst themselves when a dispute arose among them as to which was considered to be greatest.

Upon overhearing this conversation among his students, their teacher replied in so many words:

“The greatest among you will be your servant”.

It is my hope that we take this spirit of servitude and selflessness into the nursing profession. When we are with our patients let us set aside our differences; let us set aside anything that might be going on in our personal lives and just serve them.

Bringing medicine and monitoring vital signs are important aspects of nursing, but bringing a compassionate smile, a joyful – humorous attitude, and Love to your patients is what will facilitate healing of the whole person; body, mind, and spirit.

Making a difference in such a large world can sometimes seem like an overwhelming task, but let us not become weary in doing what is good, what is just, and what is in the best interest of our patients.

But what can one person really do to effect significant change?

I feel that Mother Theresa caught a glimpse of the Truth and spoke of it when she stated:

“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love is put in the giving.”

I would like to finish with a few words spoken by an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. This woman served as a nurse manager during the Crimean war in 1854 where she would make rounds to the wounded soldiers at night using an olive oil lamp.  The Florence Nightingale olive oil lamp has since become an international symbol of nursing.

In 1860 Nightingale opened the first scientifically based nursing school at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. This laid the foundation that the future of professional nursing would build upon.

Here are a few of her words, and I quote:

“I would rather, ten times, die in the surf, heralding the way to a new world, than stand idly on the shore.”

So get out there boldly; let your light shine before others; bring compassion, bring patience, bring humility, and above all else –love one another unconditionally.

Thank you.

Truth Will Make You Free

Yogacharya David

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Picture: Behold, I stand at the door and knock

I came into this life giving others a great deal of power over me. What someone else thought or said would have great power, more power than what I thought. This can be termed being shy, having low self-esteem, or a lack of confidence, etc. It is a terrible way to live.

There was a time when I was in a mediation partnership, we taught a roomful of lawyers and social worker-types the skills of mediation. At the end of the five day course we asked for written feedback. 99% of the feedback was incredibly positive, such as “One of best things I have ever done, life changing,” etc. Once in a while someone would say, “Not really what I was looking for.” Somehow this one feedback carried all the weight, wiping out all the good comments. I knew my reaction was way out of proportion, but there it was.

In my training in behavioral sciences there was a phrase that stuck with me, “feedback is information, not definition.” Being open to feedback was an important part of my Master’s degree program. At first I went easy on others in the class, hoping they would do the same for me. When the feedback I got was honest, sometimes blunt, I thought, “Ok, kid gloves are off, this is what I really think.” I strove to make the feedback clean and clear, not filled with anger or hurt or prejudice, but accurate and useful that did not hold back.

What a refreshing breath of fresh air! How rarely we get clean and clear feedback in this world. Either others do not say what they really think, feel and want, or it is so filled with some personal attack that it is really more about the other person than us. Why is it so hard for us to be simply truthful, and why is it so hard for us to receive what someone else thinks, feels or wants?

It really comes down to having confidence in what “I think, feel and want.” When I have faith and confidence in my own judgements, then what others think will not be swallowed whole, rather I will listen openly to what another thinks, and measure it by what I know to be true. I use my reason and my intuition to sense the truth. What is it I have faith and confidence in? Not that I am perfect, rather I have faith and confidence in the fact that I am a good person, well intentioned, and that if somehow I have a mistaken idea, my sincerity will get me back on track with truth.

Truth then becomes the transcendent factor that rises above personalities. To stand in the way of truth by being overly self-conscious means that ego triumphs. Truth may come from any source: a child, an elderly person, a stranger, madman or a belligerent. To recognize truth requires you to have a calm, clear mind focused on knowing the truth when you see, hear or feel it.

Your spiritual practice of being centered in the Self and attuned to truth will greatly enable you to put truth over personality; you transcend ego. Put truth first, and the truth will make you free.

Making Room for God: Only Keeping the Things I Love

Yogacharya David

I want to share something Angela Victory just sent me (used with her permission). Angela is one of many who have embraced this process of tidying wholeheartedly. She has experienced a deepening spiritual connection through choosing only things that bring her a spark of joy. Strangely, this focus on material things makes us feel closer to God; we feel a new and lighter energy throughout our home. My hope is that you will enjoy Angela’s writing, but more than that, you will be inspired.

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Picture: Angela burning the past: letters that had already served their purpose.

This method of tidying has, and continues to be, an inspiration that has preoccupied my mind. Driving home the other day I felt driven, so so driven to conquer the stuff in my home and my life. It’s hard to really convey this feeling other than to say it was a burning desire. Not something that takes energy away from my constitution, but brings me everything I need. Drawing on the life-force energy from behind: it’s calm, it’s strong, and it’s wonderful. My whole body resonates with letting these attachments go—without pain, but with joy!

I never imagined that I would ever have gotten here in my life…..gone is my attachment to my worn white leather baby shoes; still in their perfect condition cardboard box. They were bought on a special trip that my mom and dad took to Hastings Street; quality baby shoes for my feet. These shoes were kept by my mother, and now kept by me—moved from box to box, location to location, from her home to my home.

Recently, with this cleaning-up-my-life obsession, I looked at those baby shoes in a new light, and I said, “I know exactly where you need to be, you need to be in my loving pile of donations.” The transition seemed so simple, and then it led to Barbie dolls (one being my authentic Princess Leia doll), and clothes my mother wore on her honeymoon, my beautiful yellow-golden grade 12 signature high school vintage jacket—I was an art class chic artist.

This jacket: it was so individual and I loved it. I could still wear it today, but I feel more strongly about donating it than trying to find a place in my closet to keep it—and for how long? Forever? I am not the jacket, yet it has defined me. I saw in my mind a girl searching for vintage things in today’s world, and her coming across that jacket and seeing the potential in it—and her having the opportunity to find it—and it now defining her. I joyfully donated it.

The jacket brings fond feelings, like the feeling I get when I reflect on God. I close my eyes slightly and I remember the feeling to be “connected.” Wearing my jacket, or keeping the jacket in the back of my closet is not my connection with Him—that feeling of connection comes from tuning in directly with Him: there is where the love is, that is my gratitude.

Keeping only the things I love—it can be described as a switch, a switch being turned on. Moments before I was so attached to so many things, and then I was not. It doesn’t mean that I don’t love so many things that I donated, but they no longer serve a purpose in my life.

My stuff was actually starting to make me sick: giving me headaches all the time, I was feeling like I couldn’t see properly, a foggy cloud around me, I was bothered and feeling worn out. Today, as these things that no longer give me a spark of joy leave my house I feel fresh air around me, I feel my mind opening up and making room for a larger altar for God.

It reminds me of the story of the man who had royalty (God) come to his house, but the man felt his house wasn’t ready to receive such a royal guest. So, I can use my body to physically move things out of this house to make room—there isn’t a greater love I know of than to make room for God.

I know that my mom wanted help tidying up her stuff up, and we never really knew how, or what to do with it. But now, with the concept of only keeping things that bring us joy—I get it!

I opened my dishwasher this morning to unload my clean dishes. I looked on the top shelf and I looked on the bottom shelf inside the washer, and all I saw were all my favorite dishes—joy! It was a thrill to put them away, not a task. I love each and every one of them: the Anthropologie mugs, my mom’s glass jug for sauce, simple Ikea tumblers, French style plates, white plates, a water jug for two, shiny matching silverware and my vintage made-in-England dish—that is the dish that I set my Rice Krispy squares in. The evidence was right in front of me, and I smiled big!

To be connected with my things means to be connected with God. If I am connected with absolutely everything I own, then I hope to be connected with God in absolutely every way as well.

Book reference: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up; Marie Kondo

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